Chapter 85: Auction (Part 2)

There were not many firearms transported from Jiliuguan, and after a few rounds, the auction moved to the next segment.

This batch of auction items was different from the previous ones; they could be called treasures.

The first item was a shield that had been blessed by a Grand Theogonist from the history of the Empire of Man's Sigmar Cult.

Sigmar was the founder of the Empire of Man; after ruling the nation for fifty years, he abdicated and his whereabouts became unknown.

Subsequently, his faithful subjects believed that Sigmar had ascended to godhood and founded a cult named after him, a cult that fanatically worshipped him—the Sigmar Cult.

Sigmar is the patron god of the Empire and also the God of War for Humans; due to the efficacy of his faith and the tireless promotion by Warrior Priests, the Sigmar Faith spread rapidly.

Today, the worship of Sigmar has become an important part of Imperial society. Almost every city, town, or village within the Empire has a portion of dedicated wealth and land to build and maintain a Sigmar church.

Its influence is so great that it holds a full three votes in the Empire of Man's electoral mechanism: the Grand Theogonist of the Sigmar Cult, and two Grand Lectors—the right and left hands of the Grand Theogonist each hold one vote.

Beyond their political status, these people are true powerhouses. Sigmar's divine power surges within their hearts; His divine power is their prayer, allowing them to perform extraordinary miracles in the name of their founding god, as long as their faith in Him remains strong.

Priests of Sigmar can unleash the wrath of the Skull-Crusher to slay dark creations such as Daemons and undead creatures, or even the wild spirits revered by Wood Elves; or they can call upon the god to protect the Empire's warriors in battle to enhance their defense, or even save a severely wounded warrior from the brink of death and miraculously heal all their wounds.

A shield blessed by the leader of the Sigmar Cult, the Grand Theogonist, is comparable in quality to exquisite equipment.

The atmosphere in the venue heated up this time; both Humans and Dwarfs bid one after another. Compared to weapons, armor is generally considered more precious.

In many cases, a weapon can help you kill an enemy in battle, but armor can help you survive.

The price of the shield was bid up to five thousand gold coins, and this was even with the blessing's efficacy having weakened somewhat over the passage of time.

"Our Sons of the Mountains' runes don't have such problems; even if mountain stone cannot withstand the erosion of wind and sand, they would still shine as if new!" Captain Gelunsen said excitedly.

Next were several more auction items that were heirlooms of Human nobles. Sinuoli watched with great interest; although he did not place any bids, he gained a certain understanding of high-quality Human equipment through his own observations and the auctioneer's introductions, greatly broadening his knowledge.

"Everyone, the next batch of auction items was sent by a big shot!" The auctioneer waved his hand, and a new row of trays covered with red cloth was brought onto the stage.

The Dwarf auctioneer teased the audience, which was also a method to attract their attention.

"Speak up, brother! Otherwise, how are we supposed to make a move!"

"A big shot? Don't tell me it's that Elector from the Mootland? That is indeed a 'big' shot!"

The person who said this had a loud voice. Hearing his remark, everyone in the venue except for the customers from the Empire of Man burst into unrestrained laughter, especially the Dwarf brethren, whose laughter was the heartiest.

Balin introduced at the right moment from the side: "Our Human friends' Emperor is elected by the ticket holders who possess the right to vote. They include ten Elector Counts who possess territory, three from the Sigmar Cult, and the Grand Theogonist of the northern Ulric Cult, and of course, of course, the Halflings of the Mootland! A total of fifteen votes."

Speaking of this, the Dwarfs in the private room also laughed loudly, and Balin joined their ranks after finishing.

"Halflings? Just those cooks who aren't even as tall as us, how do they have the right to vote?" Bulimu asked.

"This has to go back over a thousand years ago. At that time, the Human Emperor was named Ludwig, and his nickname was 'the Fat'." Balin replied.

Hearing this, the clansmen laughed again. A nickname like 'the Fat' appearing on a Human Emperor was enough to show how unremarkable he and his rule were.

"Ludwig was an out-and-out dim-witted monarch. His biggest trait was that he could eat, which is also the origin of his nickname. He even enfeoffed a Halfling cook as an Elector Count, just because the food that Halfling made was delicious!

And because of a tiny bit of bribery, he also gave the most fertile land in Stirland and Averland to the Halflings, letting them establish a Halfling autonomous region, which is the Mootland."

After listening to Balin's introduction, the Dwarfs laughed until their beards trembled. They had complicated feelings toward their Human friends.

When they first met, the Mountain Kingdom was still strong, while Humans were just savage tribes in the wilderness.

The nascent Empire of Man relied on the protection of the Dwarfs, learning technology and knowledge from Dwarf teachers like diligent students.

However, as time passed, the development of the Empire of Man became faster and faster, while the Dwarfs, limited by their own gender ratio and the impact from external Greenskins and Skaven, saw their national strength decline day by day.

If not for Sinuoli's arrival, the Mountain Kingdom would have gradually entered its Twilight. Now, the relationship between Dwarfs and Humans has somewhat reversed; at times, the Mountain Kingdom needs food and even military support from Humans.

For a race as proud as the Dwarfs, this is hard to accept. Because of this, some clansmen constantly mock the Empire of Man whenever they catch a stain on it, in order to achieve a spiritual victory.

"Alright, alright, my friends, to tell you the truth, these were sent by the Grand Prince of Reikland, William III. Praise this brave friend; he crushed a detachment of Gulu's that was invading Altdorf. These are his spoils of war." The auctioneer said loudly.

"What is the Jinzun Chamber of Commerce doing?"

"Spoils of war? What could those mushroom things have that is worth anything? You wouldn't want to take them onto the battlefield to hack away, would you?"

The audience below the stage called out, expressing their confusion.

"Don't be impatient, my friends!" The auctioneer reached out and pressed down.

"Everyone knows the reputation of our Jinzun Chamber of Commerce; how could we use some waste to amuse everyone? Before these things became Prince William's spoils of war, they were also the spoils of war of the Greenskins."

Hearing this, the people below the stage quieted down and began to wait for this round of the auction to start.

"What does this mean?" Sinuoli was a bit confused, and he asked Tomi.

"I'll venture a guess," Tomi began uncertainly.

"It's likely that some nobles were in such a hurry to flee that they didn't have time to take away too many valuables, and those things fell into the hands of the Greenskins. After the Greenskins were crushed, how to handle the spoils became a problem. After all, Human nobles are all related by blood and marriage, just like us. Perhaps not wanting to suffer too great a loss, that Prince William sent the items here for auction."

Thanks to French Chasseur Major Yuli for the monthly ticket; asking for votes, collections, and tips!